The inventors have previously disclosed magnetic targeting of iron oxide-containing, magnetically responsive nanoparticles (MNP) to stents in vivo, demonstrating the suitability of this approach for delivering drugs, gene vectors and cell therapy. Nanoparticle formulations can potentially offer several important advantages, including delivery of poorly water soluble drugs in a form suitable for parenteral administration, protection of chemically labile therapeutic agents from degradation, ability to control the biodistribution and fate of the agent in the body, and controlled drug release at the site of disease.
Paclitaxel (PTX) is a potent antiproliferative drug that binds to β-tubulin and promotes the assembly of abnormally stable microtubules, thereby preventing normal cell division. The inventors have previously disclosed a significant antirestenotic effect of a PTX-loaded MNP formulation that can be magnetically targeted to arterial or other sites in a patient. Further advances in methods of delivering MNP or other nanoparticles loaded with PTX or other therapeutic agents to a patient would be a welcome contribution to the art.
Various publications, including patents, published patent applications and scholarly articles, are cited throughout the specification. Each of these publications is incorporated by reference herein, in its entirety.